Port of Oakland Progress Slow

2/11/2015

Oakland Port Progress Update

The Port of Oakland created a Special Task Force mid-year to dynamically and effectively address on-going congestion and other Port Terminal/Infrastructure-related challenges plaguing the port operations.

Bringing the Port of Oakland to the forefront of change and raise its overall operations and services to a level which other U.S. Ports will want to model coast to coast.

So far, some of the initial achievements and steps taken include:

The PMA and ILWU have added 150 permanents and 225 casual workers (planning to add another 150 casuals over the next several weeks).

Making sure all jobs are filled at the ‘hall for labor’ at each terminal & including both the clerical and dock resources.

Chassis shortage: the so-called “Grey chassis pool” concept and process has already begun earlier this year, though the process is taking much longer than originally anticipated.

Proposing a potential off-site chassis yard in the Oakland area & possibly “inland”.

Terminal turn times: adding “OakPass” (along the lines of the Los Angeles/Long Beach “Pier Pass” successfully introduced a few years ago as an important step toward reduced congestion during “peak” hours), as a way to gain more operating hours at each of the terminals.

The port’s “OakPass” consideration is expected to generate additional jobs, over & above those planned and already filled.

A new “turn time” matrix is being developed with Blue Tooth technology. It is already in place at Ports America. This enhanced technology is expected to be fully operational across all functions by January 2016, allowing instant visibility to “real-time” in-line-waiting-times at each terminal.